Briscoe survives horror smash.

Indy Racing League IndyCar Series rookie Ryan Briscoe has survived a horrific accident during the early stages of Sunday's Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.

While Briscoe has been taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation, early reports indicate that, bruising aside, Briscoe sustained no serious injuries in the most violent impact seen in an IRL race since Kenny Brack's near fatal smash in Texas two years ago.

The 24 year-old Australian driver was in the process of making his way up the field after his pole winning time from Saturday was disallowed. By lap 20 of the 200-lap race, the Target Chip Ganassi driver came upon 15th placed Alex Barron as the pack bore down towards turn three on the 1.5-mile oval.

Perhaps unstabalised by getting into Barron's slipstream as they entered the turn, Briscoe's Panoz-Toyota drifted up the track into the left rear of Barron's car. Contact was made and Briscoe made wheel to wheel contact with the right front of Barron's Red Bull Cheever Racing Dallara-Toyota sending Briscoe skywards, nose-first towards the catch fencing.

Briscoe hit the fencing with the underside of the car first, his machine splitting in two as it ripped through the nearest fence post, leaving a gaping hole. With more than half a tank of fuel on board there was a brief explosion as the car split, the cockpit spinning violently down the track where Scott Dixon narrowly avoided collecting his teammate.

As Barron slid towards the infield, Kosuke Matsuura spun in sympathy but while Barron and Matsuura were able to walk away unharmed the immediate concern was around Briscoe, who lay in his upturned tub at the bottom of the track.

Several hushed minutes and with a number of medical officials surrounding the scene, Briscoe was removed from the wreckage and placed on a stretcher. As he was being transferred to an awaiting ambulance he managed a wave to the cameras, putting fears about his immediate condition to rest. However with the crash bearing such a striking resemblance to Kenny Brack's2003 wreck in Texas, it will take further evaluation in a nearby hospital to determine the exact extent of Briscoe's injuries following such a violent impact.

The Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 presented by Mr Clean was red flagged as IRL officials cleared the track and repaired the damaged fencing.